Going to the End

Programs

What happens behind the scenes of a theater stage? What is a day like in the life of actors who portray someone else’s story? Going to the End seeks to answer these questions.
The play follows three actors: Yeong-hyeon, who plays Hamlet and is weary of the same repertoire; Gyeong-gu, who lives and breathes for romance; and Junho, a newcomer who has just made his debut at Daehangno. Today marks the final performance of their theater troupe, but not a single audience member shows up, causing the play to be interrupted. As they tidy up the stage and share drinks, they express the struggles of life as actors. Suddenly, Junho returns with a group of audience members. The question now is, will they perform again or not? To be, or not to be—that is the question.
The antics of preparing a makeshift performance blend with the realistic, heartfelt conversations they have over drinks, evoking both laughter and emotion. The actors’ passion for the theater is palpable, but so is the pressure of survival. This mirrors not only the struggles of the actors but also the dissonance between dreams and reality that many of us experience. Perhaps this is why the audience empathizes with their situation and is eager to applaud.